The Man & His Box
by hpotter949
Summary: Harry is shocked when a man, his compainion and a blue box apear in the Gryffindor common room one night. It's even weirder that he is known as The Doctor, she as Rose and it as the T.A.R.D.I.S. But what is most shocking is when a beloved friend is killed at the arrival of the Dalek. Someone we love will cross over. The question is, Who?
1. The Man And His Box

_**Chapter One – The Man and His Box**_

_It was late. The Gryffindor common room was slowing emptying, all the students where leisurely going up to their dormitories, full and happy after a very satisfying Christmas feast in the Great Hall._

_Soon, only two boys where left in the warm, cosy common room. One was small and skinny with a shock of jet-black hair that stuck up at odd angles and glasses that reflected the other boy's round but kind face. Between them was a small coffee table covered with bits of scribbled on parchment and a rather large book, whose title read Quiddich Through the Ages._

_"Oh Harry." Exclaimed the round-faced boy, who was in fact Neville Longbottem. "I will never get understand how a broomstick flies!" _

_"Really Neville," replied his friend, Harry Potter, with a sigh. "Don't beat yourself up. Look, it's nearly midnight. I think we should go to bed." _

_Neville looked up gratefully from his parchment and started to collect the scraps scatted about the coffee table. _

_Suddenly, there was a strange noise, and a muffled scream from outside the port hole that was the entrance to the common room. The door, a portrait of a rather portly lady shattered and broke into millions of tiny pieces. Both boys stood up quickly, spinning to face the now gapping port hole. _

_They just had time to see a sort of giant salt shaker made of metal with one long rod sticking out of its head with a glass covering on the end, and two more rods coming out of its body which was covered in bumps, when it emitted in an odd metallic voice that suited its body, 'present the Doctor! Present the Doctor!' _

_Neville exchanged a confused look with Harry, before answering 'Doctor who? We have no doctors here.' _

_The bizarre creature that could only be described as 'robotic' screeched 'EXTERMINATE!' in its metallic tones, and shot out a bright beam of light from one of the rods in its misshapen body. It struck Neville in the chest, and his body shook with the force of it, and Neville crumpled into a heap on the red-and-gold carpet. He moved no more._

_Harry's body acted of its own accord. He leapt over to Neville, and placed a hand on his chest, immediately removed it, for he had received a violent shock from his friends still body. He gasped in pain a looked at his hand, which glowed with a slight blue light. Harry's eyes widened as he looked at his luminous hand, but before he had time to investigate further, the odd creature said again 'The Doctor! Where is the Doctor! The Darlek's must have the Doctor!' _

_Harry dodged to the side, narrowly missing another deadly blast from the Darlek. He heaved Neville's limp body behind an armchair. _

_Harry was now beginning to realise that Neville was never going to move again. His body shook with rage. He was blinded by fear, not for himself but for the other students asleep upstairs._

_Without further thought he whipped out his wand cast a stunning spell at the robotic monstrosity. It did nothing what so ever to it, merely bouncing off its strange metal body, and hit the chandelier. Harry cast a protecting charm around his body and Neville's so that the falling glass would not cut them, and turned to strike his foe once more. But as he did so, a falling piece of the chandelier hit it in the end of the rod on its head, which Harry guessed to be an eye of some sort. _

_'Darlek 1223 is blinded! Retreat to base!' It screech again. But before it could turn and escape, Harry let out a roar and shot the deadliest spell he knew. The same spell had taken the life of his parents, so many years ago. _

_'AVADA CADRVA!' Green light burst forth from Harry's wand, nearly blinding him. It struck home, and the Darlek exploded into billions of tiny fragments. _

_After sealing the port hole so no other intrudes could attack, Harry back raced to his fallen friend. _

_'Neville? Neville, please don't be dead. You can't be dead.'_

_Then Harry heard something. _

_Harry wiped his eyes and slowly stood, wand at the ready, standing protectively in front the lifeless body of his friend. _

_Then, with the odd noise, a strange whirring, a shape began to take form not two feat in of Harry. He re-cast the protective charm, and prepared himself for another assault. He also cast a spell to stop anyone from going up the stairs that lead to the sleeping residents of Gryffindor house. He wasn't going to let any intruder through, but Harry wasn't going to let another innocent person die this night. _

_Soon the shape solidified, and in front of Harry stood a small blue police box. _

_His eyes narrowed, and he scanned the box for anything deadly. _

_Harry started at the slight creaking of the door and a warm female voice that came from the inside of this mysterious blue box._

_Without hesitating, Harry stunned the young female who had just shown her pretty, blonde face around the side of the open door. She looked slightly alarmed, before falling to the ground._

_Then, another voice called out in distressed. 'ROSE!' Bellowed a deeper, more commanding male voice. A tall, rugged man in a pinstripe suit and dirty white gym boots appeared in the place that Rose had just been, crouching protectively over her fallen figure. He gently cradled her head, and kissed her on the forehead before slowly turning and standing so that he towered above Harry. _

_His deep brown eyes glared into Harry's bright green ones. Those eyes spoke of such grief and life, but right now they where boring into Harry's, filled with such rage that Harry stopped himself jinxing this man. _

_'What have you done to her?' The man spoke softly, but each word was so powerful and overflowing with anger. _

_'It's okay.' Harry glanced down to the young women on the ground. She was quite pretty, with short blonde hair and a curvy figure. 'She was just stunned. She'll come around in a few.' _

_'How did you stun her? What is thing you shot her with? Why did you do that? Why should I believe you-' Harry punched him in the mouth. Not a hard punch, but with enough force to stop this wild rage that the strange man was in. He wasn't sure why he had done it, really. This man in his pin-striped suit and his white Converses re-minded him of Ron, mid temper tantrum. But as he recorved from the surprise attack, the ferocious gleam in his eye was gone. Instead it was replaced by fear, but that too was masked by a cold stare. _

_But just as the man stepped forwards and lifted his hand to Harry, the women on the floor moaned and sat up. _

_'Doctor?' She mumbled._


	2. Magic and Mayhem

_**Chapter Two – Magic and Mayhem**_

Something in Harry's brain clicked.

Who where these people to come into his common room? Who was the strange Darlek that shot Neville? Clearly the Darlek wanted this 'Doctor', and it was his fault that Neville die-.

Harry would not let himself think that last word. Instead he leapt on the man, and started to claw at him, to try and rip him apart, to cause him as much pain as Harry felt.

But this Doctor did nothing to stop the attack. He had seen the body on the floor as he stepped out of his box, and his quick mind had come to a conclusion. The correct conclusion as usual.

Rose cried out and tried to pull Harry of him, but Harry snarled at her like a wild animal and kicked out at her. That of course stirred some emotion in the man. He stood up, and brushed Harry off him as if he was nothing but a troubling fly. He held Harry at arm's length, and again those deep brown eyes met the bright green ones. Expect this time, the brown ones held no hatred of fear. Only sadness. Such grief and loss, and a bland nothing that hurt to see.

Harry seceded his attack, and only stood in this man's arms, holding his gaze. Then he broke away.

Turning to face the body of his friend, he whispered, 'Who are you?'

T

he strange man sighed, and sat down in the chair that Neville had occupied only an hour previously. His friend, Rose the beauty, sat on the table, facing away from the fire, leaving the other comfy armchair for Harry. She looked deep into the tall man's eyes, and Harry got the distant impression that there was more than friendship going on between these two.

'My name is the Doctor. Always the Doctor. This is Rose Tyler, my ah, companion. She goes with me on my travels. That blue box is my T.A.R.D.I.S. It's a sort of spaceship if you like. You can go in and have look inside.' He ended with another sigh, gesturing wearily with his hand at the blue box.

Harry looked up at the Doctor. Then he looked at Rose, and saw that this was the truth.

'Why was that thing here?'

'The Darlek?'

'Yes. That's what is called itself.'

Another sigh. This one was the most heartbreaking. Rose patted her Doctor's knee, and he took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze and a small smile at the gesture before continuing with Harry's question.

'The Darlek's have been my constant enemy through these thousands of years.

They have followed me where ever I have defeated them time and time again, and yet they still come back.' He spat that last word, and glared over at the smoking remains of the Darlek.

'And now they have killed your friend. I am sorry. So eternally sorry.' He looked up at Harry, and his eyes were so sad that any insult that had been forming on the boy's lips faded away.

The Doctor closed his eyes and took Rose's hand again.

Harry rose from the chair, and walked slowly over too Neville's body.

'I don't understand anything. None of this makes sense. There are barriers around Hogwarts so you can't Apperaite or Disapperate inside the school grounds. How did you get in? How did that thing get in? What is a TARDIS? Why are you here?' It all came out in such a gush that Harry could hardly stop himself.

Before the Doctor could say anything more, Rose spoke. 'Doctor, show him. With your mind. Remember how you showed the King of Usadp?'

He let a small smile slip before standing up and brushing his knees. 'That's my Rose. Always thinking ahead.' He calmly walked to where Harry was kneeling, and crouched beside him. Rose shifted to the chair where the Doctor had been and peeped over the back of it curiously.

'Now, please don't be too astounded.'

'Don't touch me.' Spat Harry, dodging the Doctor's outstretched hands, and raising.

'You haven't even tried to explain what happened to Neville.'

'He was just trying to help!' Cried Rose indignantly, stand up from where she was sitting and standing protectively in front her Doctor.

The Doctor shook his head gently, but firmly told her that it was okay. 'His friend was just killed. Let it be.'

Harry pretended not to hear, and bent over Neville's slumped body, attempting to lift it over his shoulder. He struggled to lift the boy, who weighed perhaps more than Harry himself, but when the Doctor offered his assistance, Harry simply shouldered past him and continued on his way, towards the stairs.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look, and the rugged man leapt forward to open the door for Harry, who grunted a begrudging thanks.

Although the question burned inside him, the Doctor knew better then to ask Harry where they were going. Instead, he concentrated on the boy that he carried. The Doctor felt a double pang in his chest as he found what he was looking for on the boy's exposed chest; a burn mark where the laser had hit him.

Harry suddenly stopped outside a door on a small landing, adorned with a bright painting of a large bird, with flaming plumage. Even more astounding then the creature's feathers and matching background was that it was singing! It was actually moving its painted beak in an obvious but silent song.

The Doctor's eyes widened. In all his years of travel he had never seen such an amazing thing.

'That's impossible,' Breathed Rose, echoing the Doctor's thoughts.

Harry ignored the two strangers mingled wonder and fascination, but he did think it slightly odd that they found it so interesting. Pushing this thought to the back of his head, he spoke directly to the brightly coloured bird.

'Forkes. Please tell Dumbledoor that Neville was injured by something that I have never seen before. And I mean, seriously injured. He is- unconscious.'

The bird fixed a beady black eye on Harry before squawking audibly in recognition before spreading his wings and flying out of the frame of the door.

Harry closed his eyes and gasped in pain, collapsing on the cramped landing. Rose and the Doctor both leapt forth to catch Neville before he hit the ground. Harry stuck out his chin in defence, but Rose could see that in his eye he was grateful for their help.

A loud call attracted their attention. Forkes had returned from his mysterious excursion. He nodded at the boy, who merely said thanks before squeezing past Rose and the Doctor and heading back down the stairs.

Harry was not sure how he knew to go down, back to the common room. When his a Forkes's eyes briefly met, a thought was placed into his mind, and he knew that the magnificent bird had put it there.

An old man met him at the foot of the stairs, staring up at the little blue box. He had a waist-length beard, and his purple and silver robe caught the firelight in a way that made it seem like it was moving. He finished tapping the TARDIS with his wand, murmuring under his breath, and looked up at the boy hesitating at the bottom step.

' Harry, where is Neville?' Spoke Dumbledore in a calm yet authoritative voice, peering over his half-moon spectacles, ad giving Harry the distinct impression that he was under an X-ray.

Harry remember the strangers where carrying Neville, and stepped into the common room, moving aside to let them pass with their precious cargo.

The Doctor and Rose clumsy finished their journey down the stairs and laid Neville on the ground, and stepped back, exchanging glances. 'You must be Dumbledore.' Said the Doctor.

'Professor Dumbledore. But who are you? And what has happened to my student? These questions will be answered later, but now we must get Neville to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey is awaiting us. Forkes will take us.'

A bird, identical to the one painted onto the door on that upstairs landing soared through an open window to land on his master's shoulder. After instructions from Dumbledore, Harry held Neville in his arms with Forkes on his shoulder. Dumbledore, Rose and the Doctor each held a part of the large bird.

'The Hospital Wing, please Forkes.'

Forkes cawed in response to his master's gentle command, and burst into flame, disappearing into thin air. His load followed in a burst of brilliant flame.

Seconds later, the company arrived in a brightly lit, white room. It was obviously with Hospital Wing, with single beds lining the walls, and a small office in one corner. A small, plump woman in light blue Healer's robes sat on a chair behind a desk in this little office.

She looked up with a frown on her face at the interruption, but this quickly turned to a look of horror and alarm at the strangers and the limp body in Harry's arms.

'Headmaster! What is the meaning of this? I didn't actually think you where- oh never mind that now. Potter, put him on this bed. Why is that whenever something happens, you're involved?'

Harry managed a small smile and carefully placed the boy on the bed. Rose and the Doctor stepped back, watching silently as the ward pulled out her wand and began muttering and waving her wand around the body of Harry's friend.

'Oh hello Harry.' Said an absent-minded voice. A skinny girl with a pallid complexion and dirty blonde hair reached down to her waist had floated into the room and now stood close to the dark haired boy.

'Luna, what are you doing here?' Harry inquired.

She lifted the small potted plant that was cradled in the crook of her arm.

'Neville gave me one of his Mimbulus Mimbletonia plants. He managed to get them to breed. It can tell me where he is, because it has a connection with the mother plant.'

Most of this went over Harry's head, but he was so used to Luna's odd theories that he nodded and decided that he was better off not knowing.

Luna stroked the ugly plant affectionately, and it made an odd crooning noise. Its many boils shook with delight.

The strange girl's orb-like eyes widened as she saw Neville's unnaturally still body. She drifted over to the boy on the bed, placed the ugly plant on the bedside table, and kissed his lightly on the forehead.

The small action was so filled with love that Rose's eyes began to prick with tears. The Doctor noticed, and held her close.

'Neville..' Whispered Luna. 'I came too late.'

She stepped back, tears filling her large, pale-blue eyes, standing in line with Harry. The raven-haired boy took her hand and squeezed it in an act of friendship. Luna looked at him, before stepping into his warm embrace.


	3. The Ghosting

**Chapter Three – The Ghosting**

Luna's shaking body slipped to the floor, where she lay crying, her face in her hands. Rose saw the expression on Harry's face, and stepped forward to cradle to girl in her arms. Her wide eyes met the Doctors, and his solemn expression answering her silent question. Rose's eyes began to water, and she buried her head into Luna's dirty blonde hair, rocking her gently back and forth.

Just then, the body on the bed began to shake.

'NEVILLE!' Cried Harry with joy. He leapt towards Neville's body, which had now started to writhe among the bed sheets.

Dumbledore quickly stepped toward the raven-haired boy, grabbing his arm before he could reach the thrashing body. 'Harry. Wait. He is not alive. Please just wait.'

Harry turned to glare at the aging headmaster, but didn't move any closer.

A sharp and painful gasp caught his attention. Neville's body had stopped thrashing about, and now his mouth was open in silent scream, the rest of his body stiff.

The Doctor strode to the boy on the bed. 'What's wrong with him? Why is he moving? He is dead. I was his pulse leaving, I know he is dead. Dead people don't move.' He turned back to face Dumbledore, eyes full of questions.

'Wait.' Said he simply.

The tall man closed his eyes and grimaced, before standing protectively behind Rose, who leaned back on his legs, still cradling the sobbing Luna.

Luna stopped her crying to raise her bloodshot eyes, and stare expectantly at Neville. Harry was going to ask what she was waiting for, but before he could, a misty cloud rose from his friends open mouth.

'Is-is that his soul?' Harry asked shakily.

'That's ridicules. You can't just-' Began the Doctor, but before he could finish, Luna stood up, surprising Rose who jumped back, making the Doctor fall onto the ground. The girl towered over him, and spoke with such fury in her voice that Harry stepped back himself.

'Luna. Let him be. He isn't from this world. Are you?' Dumbledore placed a calming hand on Luna's shoulder, guiding her to stand next to the bed.

Rose helped the Doctor back to his feet, her eyebrows raised. 'When was the last time you let a teenager knock you off your feet?' She whispered in his ear.

The Doctor grinned back at her, then coughed and looked pointedly at the scene unfolding before them.

The strange white mist that had risen from Neville's mouth had now taken shape. It looked like a mirror image of the boy on the bed below.

Then Neville began to speak. At first it was just mumbled nonsense, but then it became louder and louder. Most of what he was saying sounded like gibberish, but Harry caught the word 'ghosting' occasionally.

The Doctor's eyes widened in amazement, and he stepped to the bed, thinking hard.

'He is speaking French. And German. Was that Latin? I don't even think that that language is invented yet. Oh wait, it's Ujjah. Rose, he is speaking in all the languages of the universe. Listen, their all there!'

'Doctor what are you going on about? This is a school boy where talking about, I would be surprised he knew more than two languages.' Replied the blonde.

The Doctor whipped something from an inner pocket. It looked like a thick metal wand, and when he pointed it at Neville who was still talking gibberish. It made an odd whirring noise, and a blue light shone from the end. He studied it intensely, as if it would tell him some secret.

Rose snatched it from his hands. 'You can't sonic that boy.' She said scornfully. She then dragged him backwards, leaving the three others y themselves.

'It's his soul. He's ghosting.' Supplied Luna, seeing the look on Harry's face.

'So he's becoming an actual ghost?' Asked the Doctor eagerly, but stepped back hastily, raising his hands when he saw Luna's expression.

'Yes. His body and mind has decided to linger on this Earth. The words he is speaking is a kind of incantation, that lets him become a ghost. Miss Lovegood is correct, the process is called Ghosting.' Said Dumbledore, as if this happened every other day.

The mist was now the exact size of Neville. The 'Ghost' Neville floated up towards the ceiling, stopping when he became completely vertical. Then, his eyes flew open at the exact time as the actual Neville's eyes opened. Ghost Neville's eyes where the chocolate brown of physical Neville's, and physical Neville's where the pearly white of a ghosts. Slowly, the brown eyes faded into the pearly white, and the ghost began to slowly turn and examine his surroundings.

The Neville on the bed went limp, his eyes, now brown again, closing. They would never open again.


	4. The Dream

**Chapter 4 – The Dream**

Harry felt his world crashing around him.

He sunk to his knees, lifting his hands to hide his tear soaked face. Rose gently put her arms around the boy, but Harry shot a spell in her way, making her reel backwards. The Doctor stepped forward protectively, but Rose merely stood and placed a hand on the Doctors arm.

Harry leapt to his feet, and ran.

He was running from the inevitable fact, one that would catch up to him eventually he knew, but for now the only thought in his shattered mind was that if never stopped moving, the guilt would never catch him.

'Watch it Potter!'

'Where is he going?'

Finally, Harry collapsed onto the cold stone. He gasped for breath, his eyes closed and his body aching.

After what seemed to be hours, when it was actually minutes, Harry lifted his heavy head and looked around at his surroundings.

He found himself in the astronomy tower.

Dragging himself up from the stone floor, Harry staggered to the gapping window.

The sky was beginning to lighten, promising a beautiful day ahead. Slowly, he stepped onto the window sill, looking down at the dark grounds below.

'Neville, I'm so sorry.' He whispered to the rising sun.

'Potter, what are you doing? Get away from there.' Came a worried voice from the door way.

Harry turned from his spot on the sill. He recognized that voice, but when it normally was snide and cold. Now, it actually sounded strange. The voice belonged to a boy who was slightly taller then Harry, his hair was platinum blonde, and his eyes were a cold grey.

'Malfoy. What do you want?' snapped Harry, taken by surprise at the appearance of his arch enemy.

'Well, I was watchin you sprinting up to the astronomy tower. You looked as if you were going to throw yourself off, and as much as I despise you and your stupid Gryffindorks, I don't want you dead.'

'Whatever Malfoy. Just leave.'

Harry turned back to the window, closing his eyes for the last time. He took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

'HARRY!'

Next thing he knew, he felt a warm arm around his waist, and he was hitting harsh stone floor hard.

Harry cursed the blonde, roughly shoving Draco Malfoy off himself. 'What was that for? Why do you care so much about my life? What are you doing here? Why? Why did Neville die?'

Questions poured from Harry's tortured soul. He found those shameful tears on his face again, and wiped them angrily away.

Malfoy simply took Harry in his arms, holding the broken boy whilehe poured out his grief. Sometimes it was suicidal thoughts and self blame, other times it was violent swearing aimed at a man called the Doctor and Draco himself, but mostly Harry simply wept.

Eventually though, the raven haired boy fell asleep in the safety of this confusing boy's embrace. He dreamed a strange dream of metallic demons, a tall man and a blonde women battling these terrifying creatures. He felt rather then saw someone he loved like a brother falling, and then a giant, flaming bird flew in with a white haired angel on his back.

Harry woke with a start, in an empty room, the sun streaming through the tall window, his head aching, but he was very much alive. His thoughts wandered back to the early morning.

Had it been a dream? Did Draco Malfoy actually save his life? It was impossible, but Harry could still feel the boy's arms around him.

'Harry?'

The Doctor walked softly into the room, clearly fearing the very thing that Malfoy had saved Harry from last night.

'Come on. There is something you need to see.'

Harry blinked up at the tall man, and took his hand. Harry stood and brushed down his dusty clothes, mildly surprised to find that he was still in his pyjamas.

'I think I need some proper clothes first, if you don't mind.'

The Doctor grinned broadly, and skipped from the room, sticking his head around the door frame.

'Just come one! There is something you need to see!'

Harry shakily followed the Doctor down the stair case. He was babbling about some amazing phenomenon, the likes of which he had never seen before. Harry half listened. Everything had a surreal effect to it, and he was having trouble adapting to this new world.

The Doctor turned back around to Harry, obviously having just asked a question.

The smile slipped from his handsome features, and his eyes found Harry's. They understood exactly what Harry was feeling.

'I know how tough this is. Just trust me, okay?'

Harry blinked slowly, nodding his head.

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped in front of two stone gargoyles. Harry recognised them to be the statues in front of the Headmasters' office.

The Doctor spoke the password told to him an hour previous, and the pair sprang to life, and stepped aside to revel a stone staircase. The man's eyes widened, and his hand flew to an inner pocket in his pin-striped suit. He got out what looked like a small, thick metal wand. He pointed it at the nearest gargoyle, and a little blue little burst from the wand.

The gargoyle growled, 'don't point that thing at me sonny!' and the Doctor reeled back, tripping over his feet and landing on the floor. He started up, eyes wide in amazement and wonder at the two gargoyles now clutching their stony stomachs and laughing so hard that their horns shook.

Harry allowed himself a small smile, before stepping onto the stone stair which began to smoothly spiral upwards. The Doctor leapt to his Converse-covered feet, and scrambled after the boy, rising on that magical staircase.

The Doctor sprung up the stairs, two at a time, until he was on the same level as Harry. He whistled in amazement, and grinned at Harry who raised his eyebrows.

The staircase came to a grinding halt in front of a magnificent mahogany door, tall as the ceiling. The Doctor leant forward to knock on the carefully carved door, but before he could, it swung open to reveal a room full of curious eyes, odd whirring instruments and in the middle, a large grand desk, where Albus Dumbledore sat


	5. A Long Story Short

**Chapter Five – A Long Story Short**

'Oh Harry, so nice of you to join us.' Said Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster for Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, a tall man with a silver beard that disappeared beneath the desktop. He peered at Harry and the Doctor over long, spindly fingers, and Harry got the distinct impression that the man could see right through him.

On either side of Dumbledore's desk was a circle of large, squashy, purple armchairs. In these sat a number of people, among them Harry's best friends Ron Wesley, a gangly boy with a shock of red hair, and Hermione Granger, the smartest girl in the year and lots of bushy brown hair. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hand was in Ron's. Harry was surprised to see Professor McGonigal, the transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor house. She was a very stern lady, with a tight bun and permanent frown to match.

The Doctor slipped from Harry's left shoulder to stand protectively over one of the chairs. It belonged to the pretty, blonde stranger known as Rose, and she was as mysterious as the Doctor himself.

As Harry sat himself in an armchair that had appeared between Ron and Hermione, he found himself staring straight into the transparent eyes of Neville. The shock that this gave the raven haired boy nearly caused him to fall out of his chair.

Ron quickly looked at Harry, hearing his gasp of horror, and smiled meekly.

'It's alright Harry. Neville is a ghost now. It's just like having him around has a human, expect he is... a ghost.' He finished stupidly. Neville laughed, and the laugh sounded exactly the same, expect it lacked something. Harry was sure that someone died when Neville had.

Floating next to Neville was a chubby little ghost, wearing a plain robe and calming smile and a taller and much prouder ghost wearing elegant clothes and a neck ruffle. These were the ghost of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, known as the Fat Friar and Nearly Headless Nick, or as he was preferred to be called, Sir Nick. They hovered close by Neville, and it was clear to see that they were some sort of mentors, helping Neville through this strange new world of his.

Dumbledore coughed polity, and all eyes shifted to him. He rose from his chair, and said in a calm voice, 'Last night a tragic event took place. We all know what happened, but what I want to know is why. I have asked you to gather with me in this early hour to answer this question. Breakfast will be delayed and today's lessons will be postponed until for Neville's friend's sake.'

He sat back down, staring straight at Harry, waiting expectantly. So Harry told them the events of that night, although he left out the scene in the morning, because he still wasn't sure if it was a dream or if it had actually happened. The room gasped when Harry described the Darlek's, and Neville whimpered slightly.

When Harry finished with him leaving the hospital wing, Dumbledore turned his now ferocious glare on the Doctor and Rose, silently demanding that they explain how those things had gotten into his castle. The Doctor stood a little straighter, and stepped into the middle of the circle of armchairs.

He coughed, clearing his throat and mentally preparing the speech he was to give.

He glanced at Rose who nodded as if to say, 'it's okay, I'll help where I can'. With that, the Doctor launched into the story of his life.

'I think it's best if I start from the beginning. Well, not the very beginning, we would be here all year!' He began, grinning broadly.

'Doctor...' Growled Rose, warning him not to get side track.

'Right, right. Okay, so I am not a human. That's a good starting point! So I am a Time Lord. The very last in fact... Anyways, I, sorry Rose, we are here on a sort of mission really. Those things that killed you Neville are indeed called Darlek's, and you haven't been their first victim. They destroyed my home planet and all who lived on it.' His eyes stared straight ahead, not seeing the wall. They were remembering seeing the Great Time War, were he had fought bravely on the front line.

Rose sighed and got up from her chair.

'I travel with him through time and space. We stole something from the Darlek's, their main source of power. It was called...' She looked up at the Doctor, silently asking him to supply the name.

'It was the Archangel Crystal. Actually the Darlek's stole it from the Time Lords about a thousand years ago, just before I was born. It helped them reform and become an organised killing machine. So Rose and I infiltrated their ranks when we came across them in when was it? Oh yeah, the year 9800. They were planning an attack on the Swampies, weren't they funny things? Them and their Kroll.' A look from Rose here stopped the Doctor from going into too much detail about the Swampies, 'so we stopped them, and scored this! Oh, and it appears that they followed us through time and space to this place. We are trying to destroy it.' He added as an afterthought.

The Doctor brightly took out a large, brilliant white crystal the size of a pomegranate. It was beautiful, the light in the room danced around it, as if playing a game. The core of the crystal was liquid gold, and the surrounding crystal was a white so bright, that it nearly blinded Harry. The white mixed with the gold, making wonderful tones of white gold and a soft yellow.

The room seemed fixated on the Archangel Crystal, and Ron's hand had actually left Hermione's to stretch towards it. The Doctor had become aware of this fact, and hastily stuffed it back into his pocket.

Hermione stood up. 'This is impossible. I mean, time travel is possible, but only small leaps in time. And you' She pointed at the Doctor, who lifted his hands in defence, ' You can't possibly be an alien! The Muggles, the non magical population, have already proved that there is no life outside of Earth.'

She sat back down, looking pleased with herself for having disproved the couple's story.

'Muggles? Does that make me a Muggle?' Asked Rose, looking at Hermione.

'Yes it does. If magic is present, you would have been sent a letter.' Stated the girl simply. 'Look, I think I know a bit about time travel. I've read all about it. You can't go back more than a year, because you could potentially rip the space-time continuum. It's very fragile.'

Harry looked at Ron, who looked back as Harry, looking as confused as Harry felt.

'That's all very well, but there are other galaxy's out there. My people, the Time Lords, have developed this sort of ability to be able to make all sorts of time-travel equipment-'

'But,' interrupted Hermione, 'How do you survive? It sounds as if you two do lots of time travel. How do you not run into your past selves?'

The Doctor crouched in front of the girl, who glared at him. His grin broadened.

'Wibbly Wobbly Timey Whimey. My machine, the TARDIS, has a programme in it that stops me from entering my own timeline. Well, mostly.'

'So now we know the story. Now we need to decide what to do about you two.' Mused Dumbledore, studying the Doctor and Rose, who glanced at each other, wearing matching expressions of worry.

'It sounds to me as if you too are the only ones who know how to deal with these Darleks. I also think that if your story is true, which I believe it is, you will be of great help. Some of our students are confused about the logic of magic.'

'Well so am I!' Interrupted the Doctor, straightening up.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows before continuing, ' I thought as much. You and Rose will be temporary teachers here at my school. I believe you have something you could teach us all.' He concluded, looking at the unusually silent McGonigal. She glared up at him, still thinking about the information she had been presented with.

'Are you sure this is wise, Albus? We don't even know if their story is true.' She finally said.

Neville floated high, struggling to make himself stay at eye level. 'I believe him. That thing that shot me wasn't like anything I had ever even heard about before. And that laser, when it hit my body, it didn't have that thing that you feel when a spell gets you. It was far to foreign.'

The room was deathly quiet. They obviously still hadn't gotten used to the idea of Neville being a ghost yet. Hermione burst into tears again, and Ron slide over to her, holding her gently.


End file.
